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Dagger of the Mind (episode)
Kirk investigates a revolutionary new machine that rehabilitates violent criminals. Summary While on a routine visit to the Tantalus Penal Colony, the ''Enterprise'' takes on a stowaway, the violently insane Doctor Simon Van Gelder, former associate of Tantalus administrator Doctor Tristan Adams. Required by regulations to investigate Van Gelder's injury, Kirk visits the colony with psychiatrist Doctor Helen Noel. Adams tells them Van Gelder injured his mind by misusing an experimental therapy device, the neural neutralizer. On board the Enterprise, Spock and McCoy continue to investigate Van Gelder, whose ravings are difficult to decipher. Spock is forced to employ an ancient technique, the Vulcan mind meld, to learn the truth Van Gelder cannot speak aloud. He learns that Adams has been experimenting on various individuals, including Van Gelder. At the colony, Kirk and Noel investigate the neural neutralizer privately. Kirk wants first hand experience with the device. With Kirk in the treatment chair, Noel implants some simple suggestions. They learn the device is far more effective than Adams had led them to believe, but this knowledge comes too late: Adams surprises them, immobilizes Noel, and begins using the device to condition Kirk. Fighting off the suggestions placed in his mind by Adams, Kirk dispatches Noel through the air conditioning ducts, in the hope she can find the power controls and deactivate the security force field. That field protects the facility, and prevents transporters from operating in it. Noel manages to deactivate the field long enough for Spock and a security force to beam down and secure the colony. In an ironic twist, Dr. Adams dies of exposure to the neural neutralizer. Dr. Van Gelder is cured, and resumes his responsibilities at the colony. He also dismantles and destroyes the neural neutralizer equipment. Quotes :Spock: "Interesting. You Earth people glorify organized violence for forty centuries. But you imprison those who employ it privately." Background Information * "Dagger of the Mind" marked the first appearance of the Vulcan mind meld. * This episode is mentioned as taking place after a Christmas party in the science labs. This is one of the few times a religious holiday is mentioned in the Star Trek future. Christmas in particular was never heard of again until Star Trek: Generations, although Eleen having a child in a cave in "Friday's Child" in that Christmas-month broadcast may not have been a coincidence. * Writer S. Bar-David is a pen name for Shimon Wincelberg. He incorporated several references to Jewish parables into the screenplay. * The part of Helen Noel was originally written for Grace Lee Whitney's character Janice Rand, however, producers wanted to avoid showing Kirk becoming involved with her, and Grace Lee Whitney was already on the verge of leaving the show due to personal problems on the set. * The title of this episode is taken from a line of Shakespeare's play, Macbeth. Macbeth is preparing to murder his king, and sees a dagger that he attempts to grasp, only to discover it is a figment of his imagination. * The name Lethe is a reference to the River of Forgetfulness in Greek mythology. * The box beamed up from Tantalus in which Van Gelder is hiding is labeled "Bureau of Penology, Stockholm, Eurasia-NE." This seems to indicate that in the 23rd Century, nations will not exist any longer. * When Fields calls the bridge to report sighting Van Gelder in the corridor, the sign on the wall next to him says "Personnel Director." Another sign in the corridor can be seen to say "Science Library" while one with an arrow points to "Briefing Room." * The chair used in the neural neutralizer room would later be re-used by Garth in "Whom Gods Destroy". * The matte painting for "Where No Man Has Gone Before" is recycled here, with the towers on the fuel bins painted out and a different doorway added. * The shot of the Enterprise miniature heading back to Tantalus at the beginning of Act 2 is not used in any other episode. * James Doohan (Scotty) and George Takei (Sulu) do not appear in this episode. * This was the final episode solely produced by Gene Roddenberry. Links and References Regular Cast * William Shatner as Kirk * Leonard Nimoy as Spock * DeForest Kelley as McCoy * Nichelle Nichols as Uhura Guest Stars * James Gregory as Tristan Adams * Marianna Hill as Helen Noel * Morgan Woodward as Simon Van Gelder * Larry Anthony as Berkeley * Susanne Wasson as Lethe * John Arndt as Fields * Eli Behar as Eli (a Tantalus therapist) * Walt Davis as a Tantalus therapist * Ed McCready as a Tantalus inmate * Lou Elias as Electrocuted Inmate Guard * Eddie Paskey as Leslie (uncredited) * Frank da Vinci as Vinci (uncredited) * Irene Sale as Noel's stunt double References Central Bureau of Penology; general quarters; general quarters 3; infra-sensory drugs; hyperpower circuitry; Penal colonies; Schizophrenia; Stockholm; Tantalus V. Category:TOS episodes de:Der Zentralnervensystemmanipulator nl:Dagger of the Mind sv:Dagger of the Mind